by | Jan 14, 2020 | 15 comments

You may already know that I am a chocolate fanatic.  If I could choose one food to eat for the rest of my life, chocolate is near the top of the list.  In fact, sweets of all kinds would probably be right up there.  I especially crave sugar at night (side note: this is likely because I am tired, and my body is craving energy or sleep, which it mistakes for a craving for sugar).  However, I realize that eating too much sugar right before bed inhibits my quality of sleep and makes me feel groggy and “hungover” the next day.  If you’re in the same boat as me, I have a solution for you!  My protein milkshake recipe is the secret to managing my sugar cravings!

I’ve been having my protein milkshake for several years now.  It’s really the simplest recipe ever, so I’ve hesitated to make it a full blog post, but it’s definitely the most common request I get for blog posts!  Ask, and you shall receive!

The basic recipe is this (see below for all my specific recommendations!):

  • 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
  • 1 scoop protein powder
  • Optional: flavorings
  • 1.5 cups ice
  • Enough water to get it moving (usually about ½ cup)

Put that all in a blender (honestly, I think a high quality blender makes a huge difference!  Here is the Vitamix I have and love, blend away, and pour into a big cup.  Toppings are optional, but highly recommended!

Which protein powder do you recommend?

  • Active Stacks is by far my favorite for my protein milkshake. It’s a beef-based protein, is sweetened with stevia, and doesn’t have any scary additives.  The texture is GREAT in protein smoothies!  In case you couldn’t guess, I love the chocolate flavor.
  • Vega Protein and Greens is my second favorite. I love the addition of the greens, and I like the vanilla flavor to mix things up.
  • I also enjoy Orgain, Numedica, and Skinny Gut

Which flavorings do you add into your protein milkshake?

  • For “Reese’s” flavored protein milkshake: add 1 scoop peanut flour (I use this one) + ½ teaspoon sea salt to chocolate protein powder
  • For dark chocolate flavored protein milkshake: add 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder (I use this one) to chocolate protein powder
  • For a peppermint patty flavored protein milkshake: add 2 drops of peppermint essential oil or 5 drops of peppermint flavored stevia (like this one) + 1 teaspoon cocoa powder (I use this one) to chocolate protein powder
  • For a great night’s sleep: add 1 scoop Organifi Gold (It’s expensive, but the blend of medicinal herbs and mushrooms help me sleep a ton, so it’s worth it to me!) to vanilla protein milkshake
  • For a warming protein milkshake: Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon or 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice to vanilla protein milkshake
  • For a berry protein milkshake: Add ½ cup frozen berries to vanilla protein milkshake

Which non-dairy milk do you add to your protein milkshake?

Any one that you like!  I prefer non-dairy milks without any artificial sweeteners or added sugar, and without carrageenan.  I like Malk or Milkadamia.

Which toppings do you add to your protein milkshake?

Adding a little crunch makes the protein milkshake even MORE fun! I love these toppings, but  feel free to be  creative!

  • Puffed rice
  • Magic Spoon cereal (If you want to feel like a kid eating sweetened cereal, and you’re OK with dairy, this is the best!)
  • Cacao nibs (for a chocolatey taste without the sugar!)
  • Roasted Pecans (my husband literally picks pecans up off the sidewalks of Texas and roasts them, and they’re the best thing ever! Any nuts or unsweetened shredded coconut would work here)
  • Coconut cool whip (For an extra treat, try CocoWhip)
  • Frozen berries

Now it’s your turn … Do you have a sweet tooth?  What is a healthy way that you manage it?  If you try the protein milkshake, what is your favorite combination?

15 Comments

  1. Jenny Manuel

    Megan! I finally made the “Reese’s” shake tonight! Holy moly, it’s amazing. Thanks so much for the recommendation, so much better than reaching for dessert!

    Reply
    • Megan Lyons

      I’m so glad to hear it, Jenny! I love it too! 🙂

      Reply
  2. Maryanne odom

    Hi Megan! I use the Active Stacks chocolate protein powder and add the following:
    1.5 cups of frozen riced cauliflower
    1.25 cups of unsweetened almond milk
    Mix that with my bullet blender and it is so delicious. Sometimes I add a half of a banana too.

    Reply
  3. Eric Liberfarb

    Is it 5 cups of ice for 1 serving? I tried that and it seemed excessive. I tried 5 cubes with much more success.

    Reply
    • Megan Lyons

      Thanks for the catch, Eric!! It was supposed to read 1.5 cups of ice!!

      Reply
  4. Nurse Nettune

    Brilliant! I’ve been wanting to replace my post children to bed ice cream with chocolate syrup routine… This sounds wonderful! I’ve set up my Amazon subscribe and save and can hardlt wait to try your Reece’s recipe! Thank you for sharing!

    Reply
  5. Veronica B

    Hi Megan, love this! Is this shake your dinner or do you usually eat something with it? Just wanting to get a feel for how full you feel when drinking/eating it. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Megan Lyons

      Hi Veronica. This is dessert – after dinner! I have a regular dinner (usually, for me, that looks like a chicken and veggie soup, a filet of salmon with roasted vegetables, or some other vegetable heavy meal with some protein and healthy fat to provide balance). How full you feel depends on your preference / tolerance for volume (I like to eat a lot of volume!), what else you’ve consumed in the day, your activity level, etc. It works great for me, so I hope it works for you, too!

      Reply
      • Veronica

        Great, thanks Megan for the info!!

        Reply
  6. Janie Peterson

    This is fantastic, thank you so much for sharing.

    Reply
  7. Maria

    Thanks Megan!!!! How many servings does this recipe make?

    Reply

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Megan Lyons Headshot

Hi! I'm Megan Lyons,

the voice behind The Lyons’ Share. I love all things health, wellness, and fitness-related, and I hope to share some of my passion with you. Thanks for stopping by!
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